
The citations for indirect quotations always begin with the abbreviation cf. The use of indirect quotations, moreover, also demonstrates that you have grappled with the text and understand how to integrate it into your own line of argument. In either case, when ideas are borrowed from somebody else, they must be labeled as such. It also includes the modification or rearrangement of the original wording used in the source. Indirect quotation is the analogous rendering of someone else’s content using your own words. Tip: When in doubt as to whether a certain piece of information should be furnished with a source citation, it is better to err on the side of too much direct/indirect citation than too little. Failure to do so would constitute plagiarism, the consequences of which could haunt you for years and have a negative impact on your professional career. Therefore, you should clearly mark all ideas or content borrowed-whether directly or indirectly - from another source. 1Įvery citation must be able to be verified by a reader/grader. On the other hand, stating today’s date would not need a citation, since it’s a generally accepted fact.

All statements, numerical data, information, etc., which can be ascribed to a specific individual (statistics, etc.) must be cited. Ideally, you should acquaint yourself with the system of citation most widely used in your own field.Ĭorrectly performing citation is sometimes a difficult task, since you are constantly trying to determine when a citation is necessary.

Note: There is no one, correct citation standard that is used universally instead, each academic discipline has developed its own notions of proper citation and how it should look.
